Expert-level meeting discuss water issue between Iran and Afghanistan

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for resolving an issue over sharing the waters of the Helmand River between Iran and Afghanistan.

At a meeting with President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to common cultural areas that the both countries share, and said that such issues should not led to dispute between the countries, official website of the supreme leader reported.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always paid serious attention to the interests and security of Afghanistan and it will continue to do so. It considers the progress of this country, in all areas, to be its own progress.”

In turn, Ashraf Ghani said that over the next couple of weeks an expert-level meeting will discuss the issues about sharing waters along border areas between Iran and Afghanistan.

He further expressed hope that the issues would be properly solved.

Disagreements over distribution of the waters of the Helmand River between Tehran and Kabul erupted as southeastern regions of Iran and southwestern regions of Afghanistan have been affected by severe drought over the past several years.